Cargo fraud

A small uninsured refrigerated cargo ship was arrested at an up river port in West Africa for USD1.1 million for alleged damage to cargo, which influential local receivers claimed had had to be destroyed by order of the local phytosanitary authority. I deployed to the port and through careful investigation, I established that the destruction certificate presented by the receivers was fraudulent and that the cargo had been sold, not destroyed. After forcible representations by my associate to the receivers, the claim was settled for a small face-saving sum and the ship released.